New Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines Are Here

Panel recommends routine screenings start at 45, not 50
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted May 19, 2021 12:02 AM CDT
The New Guideline for Colorectal Cancer Screening: 45, Not 50
In this Oct. 3, 2007, file photo released by the University of Wisconsin Medical School shows a virtual colonoscopy, a 3-D image that was computer-generated from a series of X-rays taken by a CT scanner.   (AP Photo/ Courtesy of Dr. Perry J. Pickhardt/ University of Wisconsin Medical School, file)

Just turned 45 and figured you had another half a decade before your routine colonoscopies start? Well, maybe not. The US Preventive Services Task Force, an influential panel, now recommends routine screening for colorectal cancer should start at 45, not 50, NPR reports. Colorectal cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer deaths in the US, and is projected to kill 53,000 people this year, but it is quite treatable if caught early. The task force says if younger people are screened (whether through colonoscopies or stool testing), deaths can be prevented. It notes that there has been an "alarming" increase in colorectal cancer among younger people, ABC News reports. The American Cancer Society also recommends screening starting at age 45. (More colorectal cancer stories.)

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